New mental health service to open in former Melton brain injury hospital
A former brain injury hospital in Melton Mowbray has been converted into a medical centre for people with complex mental health needs.
Melton Place, on Warwick Road, is a 26-bed facility for people aged over 18, including those who may also be on the autism spectrum.
It is the first specialist community mental health service developed by Priory to help address system-wide challenges, in line with the NHS 10-Year Health Plan and the shift from hospital to community care.
The new service replaces Priory Hospital Burton Park, a high-dependency rehabilitation service for people with an acquired brain injury which closed a year ago.
Gary Stobbs, managing director (East) at Priory, said: “This service bridges the gap between hospital rehabilitation and community living and will avoid or reduce the length of hospital admission in an environment that supports recovery, personal growth, inclusion, confidence and skill acquisition.
“The support provided at Melton Place is focused on stabilisation, recovery and progression towards further independence and has been designed in collaboration with system partners to meet regional demand.
“This service will be particularly appropriate for people who may have been stuck in hospital settings for significant periods of time – or would previously have been admitted – but would benefit more from a residential, community setting.
“This new model of care will meet the growing needs of our communities and enable more people to receive specialist support closer to home.”
It has been designed to support local priorities around hospital discharge, step-down care and community rehabilitation in partnership with local authority and NHS commissioning partners.
The specialist team includes 24/7 nursing support and 24-hour on-call arrangements for physical health issues.
Routine medication reviews and complex case management are overseen by a consultant psychiatrist, while positive behaviour support (PBS) is provided by practitioners as a core part of the recovery programme.
On the new service, Louise Griffiths, Priory director of strategy and service development, said: "Activities include group sessions, health promotion, vocational opportunities and leisure programmes, with family and carers encouraged to participate through regular contact, reviews and feedback forums.
“Everyone who stays with us has a care plan developed with the objective of a return to the community as soon as feasible, either to home or to a supported living service.”